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Reading this thread makes me curious how widely varied prices are at Aldi from area to area. Where I live they have the cheapest prices on certain things for sure like fruit, cereal, some dairy etc. I wonder if they adjust their prices by state/city to be lower than the bigger chains in that area, or if they just have the same price on items at all of their locations? Here's two that I remember off the top of my head. The bananas at my Aldi cost .44 cents/pound and the Millville oatmeal is $2.19. Is that the price of those 2 items at your Aldi?
I think the prices must be pretty stable, because other places ask to input zip code in order to see their specials/prices - but I don't see it here:
We save so much money by shopping Aldi. Seriously some of their stuff is nearly the same and half the price. it all adds up. Don't really like their pasta much though, it overcooks easily and gets mushy. Mac and cheese, good, I still like kraft better and homemade even better... but the aldi stuff is way cheaper. I go to the local chain that has authentic italian pasta a whole aisle of it for like 99 cents a bag on sale and it is superb.
Like aldis cookies, their baking stuff/staples are good, milk really cheap, eggs really cheap, hot dogs good, baked beans in the can good, meat OK, hit or miss what they are gonna have. The cereal can't be beat. really cheap and good selection. Only bad thing is that they run out of stuff or just won't have a certain SKU for whatever reason. So you can't depend on getting something. Butter/margarine, good. Yogurt good. Frozen vegetables good. Much better than other stores generics. Ice cream and ice cream novelties good. Canned soup good. Bread - OK, really cheap, but it seems like it goes stale fast. But this is OK if you run through a loaf fast. I buy the turano they have in the ones by us. Crackers really good. Chips, Aldi has a great selection of chips and dips. Good cheese, lunch meat - not much variety at all. It is pretty cheap though. Seems like their variety on lunch meat has been dwindling of late.
Aldi chocolates are great (German co. it figures). They have name brand merchandise on occasion. I buy ghiradelli brownie mixes on sale when they have them and stock up. Pop, just OK... not great. cola downright awful. cheap bottled water. Paper goods are good and cheap. I buy their disposable razors there which are less than half what they charge at a regular store, and they are just as good.
They have lots of pre-prepared food which can be hit or miss. Generally though, it is worth the trip to go there because you save SO much money. Esp, when you have kids, because mostly kids will NOT know the difference. I have to say though, different stores are different. The stores in our upper middle class neighborhood get way picked over because everyone has finallly figured out you can good stuff there for cheap. The ones in the lower income neighborhoods actually have a better selection, not so picked over.
We've warmed up to Aldi's because they have one pretty close in nice new neighborhood. Trying things little by little till we made up a pretty good shopping list and have saved over 50% on our grocery bills. I agree with gardner34 things can be hit and miss but really worth it, if you have kids for snacks, healthy snacks and fun snacks.
We especially LIKED:
The Chocolate, imported from Germany, really really good
Snack crackers are ok
Nuts
Cookies if fresh, they change them out and if you get the first week they are good
Loves Pumpkin Cupcakes were very good
Eggs are good
Whipping Cream
Cheese, grated, slices and chunks
Unsalted Butter is good
Cream Cheese and Sour Cream is good
skip the lunchmeat
Ground Sirloin hamburger is good
Boneless Ribs are good
Center cut pork chops are good
Sliced Ham Cooks is good
Pepper Bacon is really good
The chicken is tasty but it has too much extra skin tucked under the thighs
Roasts cook up nicely
Frozen veggies are good
Fresh Broccoli, Eggplant, Cauliflower and three color peppers are good
Cabbage varies in size
Onions can be hard to get a whole bag without a rotten one
Bananas are good, Frozen Blueberries are the best I've found
Frozen Crab Cakes are very good
Frozen Salmon is good
Frozen fruit bars
Coffee is good, I like the Hazelnut or Vanilla Hazelnut
DIDN'T like:
Refrigerated Cinnamon rolls, taste like cardboard
Fresh Pizza to bake, tasteless
Mushrooms go bad fast, so cook them right away
Potatoes can be rotten from the inside
Diet Cola, not much fiz and made me queasy
Ice Cream
Refrigerated Guacamole
Dryer sheets just don't work, still have lots of static and towels are not soft
We have recently got an Aldi's. It is almost next door to the local Walmart. I don't care for it but my wife thinks their produce is better and less expensive than Walmart. She has a few other products that she thinks are a bargain. I prefer to make one stop to get my motor oil, bread, ammo, milk and fertilizer.
Hi Village. I'm with your wife...Aldi certainly has better produce than Walmart in our area. The produce on the shelves at Walmart is often old, slimy and very poor. I've also seen out of date luncheon meat on the shelves at Walmart and called attention to the department manager. I think they have taken that low price leader thing way too far at Walmart. I like Aldi for some things, Trader Joe's (which is an hours drive) for lots of things, my local farmer's stand for much of our produce and Whole Foods or Fresh Market for good quality meats and seafood. Getting high quality food within budget makes much more sense to our family than just getting the cheapest possible food.
^
Ive had the same issues w. WalMart produce. Some things are ok (fruit mostly: bananas, apples, pears, etc), but WM is better for canned/frozen/packaged stuff than for produce.
What's the pacific and mountain time zone equivalent of Aldi? I was looking at a map of Aldi locations earlier and they only go as far west as central Texas. I know they are owned or were owned by the same guy as Trader Joe's but that store is more similar to Whole Foods, what I would term a fancier, more expensive specialty store. So does the west coast have a discount chain like Aldi?
What's the pacific and mountain time zone equivalent of Aldi? I was looking at a map of Aldi locations earlier and they only go as far west as central Texas. I know they are owned or were owned by the same guy as Trader Joe's but that store is more similar to Whole Foods, what I would term a fancier, more expensive specialty store. So does the west coast have a discount chain like Aldi?
There are really FEW similarities between Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, except that they appeal to similar demographics. Trader Joe's offers AFFORDABLE, upscale goods.
Similarities between TRADER JOE'S and ALDI:
1) Sell MOSTLY private label brands made specifically for them.
2) Carry name brands only when achievable at rock-bottom prices.
3) Limited SKUs - less than 25% of average supermarket.
4) Limited staff - NO butchers, bakers, no food preparation at teh store.
5) High percentage of seasonal goods that disappear after a couple of months.
6) Large turnover of items - "never the same store twice."
7) Highly motivated staff that is well-compensated.
8) Privately held, all company owned stores.
9) Tend to have a lot of stock-outs as they have NO storerooms and very frequent deliveries.
10) They ship solely from their own warehouses. No vendors stocking in store.
11) Many common products.
12) Aggressive cost controls over all aspects of the operation.
13) Vendor sources are not disclosed.
14) Growth through reinvested profits, little or no debt.
Personally, Trader Joe's prices are pretty reasonable but do NOT match Aldi prices even in markets where they are both active.
As for discount groceries, the only that I can think of are Grocery Outlet and Winco.
We have something called EartFare, which seems to be copying some of TJs concept (or maybe they are copying Whole Foods..never been to a Wh F..), but the prices are fairly high.
I was a bit intimidated by TJs thinking it was the yupscale higher-end place, but the prices are competetive with local supermarkets (yet not as cheap as Aldi, as noted...).
TJs has good frozen veggies, and I like that european style limo they carry
Don't know if it's been mentioned it or not but Aldi's and Trader Joe's are (were?) owed by brothers in Germany. That explains the wonderful Germain chocolate!
German Billionaire Berthold Albrecht, Heir To Aldi Markets And Trader Joe's, Dead At Age 58 - Forbes
German billionaire Berthold Albrecht, an heir to the Aldi Nord discount supermarket chain, died last month at age 58. His famously secretive family announced the news Friday in full page notices in several German newspapers. The cause of death was not disclosed, but Berthold Albrecht had reportedly been sick for a while. The funeral was held in November, according to German newspapers.
Berthold and his brother Theo Albrecht Jr. share a fortune that Forbes estimates at $17.8 billion—making them the second richest in Germany behind their uncle, Karl Albrecht, 92, who owns grocery chain Aldi Sud; Forbes estimates his net worth at $25.4 billion.
Berthold and Theo Jr. inherited Aldi Nord from their father Theo Albrecht, who died in 2010. Theo Sr. purchased U.S. discount grocery chain Trader Joe’s in 1979 and it has slowly grown to have more than 365 stores. Berthold’s main activity was to oversee Trader Joe’s, according to an article in the German newspaper Handelsblatt.
I shop at Aldi at least once a week, today I wanted a DQ brownie earthquake but at $5.49 for one, I thought it be wise to get the makings for homemade brownie earthquakes for the whole family.
I ran to Aldi and bought brownie bites, whip cream, cookies and cream ice cream and chocolate syrup, spent $5.36 enough for everyone to have some.
Aldi is good place to shop, I don't but everything there but I do get quite a bit, the produce is very reasonable too.
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enough for everyone to have some.
